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falsifiable

falsifiable

4 8.0
Able to be shown wrong by tests or evidence
  • adjective
  • /ˈfɔːlsɪfaɪəbl/
  • Formal
translation icon : falsable
  • Some scientific questions are clearly and unambiguously falsifiable; thus, they are actually scientific in the Popperian sense.
  • testable and falsifiable

But just because the hypothesis is falsifiable doesn't mean it's good science.

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Examples

  • We believe in testing theories to make sure that they are falsifiable and reproducible.

  • A theory is considered falsifiable if it can be proven wrong by an experiment.

  • Has anyone heard that term falsifiable hypothesis?

  • I pointed out that string theory is falsifiable and gave an example.

    Blog text (33)
  • It is not falsifiable, not in the short run.

  • A mathematical equation is, by its nature, falsifiable, whereas a religious belief, by its nature, is not.

    Blog text (15)
  • He argued that in order for a theory to be scientific, it must be falsifiable or able to be proven wrong.

  • A basic tenet of science is that scientific theories must be testable or falsifiable.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Scientists prefer hypotheses that are falsifiable because they can be tested through experiments.

  • For a claim to be scientific, it must be falsifiable; otherwise, it cannot be empirically tested.

Synonyms

testable
vsfalsifiable
8 3.9

You can check by experiment or evidence

focuses on being provable false by experiment or observation
confirmable
vsfalsifiable
  • Specialized
2 5.1

A claim that testing can show is true or false

emphasizes being provable false specifically rather than also provable true
rebuttable
vsfalsifiable
1 7.0

New evidence can show a claim is wrong

is specifically testable by experiment or observation rather than just argument
disprovable
vsfalsifiable
1 6.5

Evidence can show that it is false

is shown false specifically by experiment or observation
refutable
vsfalsifiable
1 7.0

Tests or evidence can show that it is false

relies on experimental or observational proof of falsehood
confutable
vsfalsifiable
  • Formal
9.9

Can be shown wrong by facts or proof

is about being disprovable by experiment or observation

Antonyms

unfalsifiable
  • Specialized
1 9.5

Not able to be shown false by tests or evidence

How Testable

testable
8 3.9
falsifiable
  • Formal
4 8.0
unfalsifiable
  • Specialized
1 9.5

Surface Forms

falsifiable positive

Morphology

falsifiable = falsify (transparent) = false + ify + able

Formed by adding the productive adjectival suffix '-able' to the verb 'falsify', yielding 'capable of being falsified'.

Etymology

Falsifiable comes from the Latin word falsus meaning 'false' and the ending -able meaning 'able to be'. So a falsifiable idea is one that can be shown 'false' by a test or observation.